Am struggling to watch this - might give up. Loved the book, but not quite liking the series so far. I'm only two episodes into it, and the thought of eight more episodes is a bit tiring. I'm finding Elizabeth Moss to be a bit too annoying in this, which doesn't help!

Truth be told I haven't enjoyed the series as a whole bar the couple of episodes mentioned above - as a book-wanker and someone who enjoys reading that particular sub-genre and surrounding non-fiction the tv show really feels lacking.

This episode in particular just seems like the point where the show is rapidly descending in Hollywood clichés and very shallow investigation of the gendered issues raised. In episodes before we've had the "what else is there to live for?... Love!" cliché. But even more so in this episode the random kissing scene very much feels like they're trying to make a Hollywood romance. If I remember correctly in the book the physical relationship is very much loveless but simply reminds here of how good casual sex can feel when it's of your choosing and with someone you find even vaguely attractive, even more so as it's a huge contravention of Gilead's strict rules. I think the random kissing scene is put in their to make it look like a more conventional romance narrative for the audience and that spoils a great storyline.

Think the biggest culprit is the Mexico storyline though - 100% applaud them for trying to move away from the book and add their own twist to the narrative, but so little of it makes any sense. Firstly, are they saying that only North America has any fertile women and, if so, how the hell is that to be interpreted? If not, then why is Mexico engaging in a cattle-esque trade with despots instead of trying to make itself an attractive place for women from other parts of the world to immigrate to? Furthermore, if fertile women are so rare in Gilead (and, seemingly, even rarer in Mexico) there simply aren't enough to make a trade agreement of this kind worthwhile - giving Mexico 10 handmaids isn't going to solve a population crisis, and giving the 100s or even 1000s would surely jeapordise the delicate situation that the series has led us to believe exists. It honestly feels like a case of the shows producers saying "we haven't made it obvious enough that women in Gilead are treated more like cattle than humans - how can we make sure the audience gets this message? We could even have Offred say this to someone!" rather than something that adds to the story.

There is more which I'm happy to discuss if anyone wants but I'm aware that this post is already far too long and boring for a forum thread on a Hollywood tv show

the writers also accidentally imply that the Gilead program is working-not to mention it throws out the implications that the infertility problems lies with (some of?) the men, but the women get the blame- therefore undoing the whole point of the series.